Är du redo?
To say "are you ready?" in Swedish, use Är du redo?
This phrase is a question used to ask if someone is prepared to begin an activity.
Which one should you use?
While Är du redo? specifically implies being prepared for a task, you may also hear the common alternative Är du klar? The latter is used frequently in everyday Swedish to mean either "ready" or "finished". Using redo often suggests being mentally or physically prepared, whereas klar often implies that someone has finished a current task and is therefore ready for the next one.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun used depends on how many people you are addressing. Use Är du redo? when addressing a single person, but if you are asking more than one person if they are ready, use Är ni redo? instead.
Did you know?
- The Swedish word du is a direct cognate of the archaic English 'thou'.
- In casual settings, Swedes often drop the Är and simply ask Redo?, turning the adjective into a shorthand question.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, redo, är, CC BY-SA 4.0.
